RFS tells farmers to exercise extreme caution during harvest

The Rural Fire Service says separate fires near the Caroona Feedlot on the Liverpool Plains, and at Emerald Hill between Gunnedah and Boggabri, were sparked by farm machinery.

Around lunchtime on Friday crews from the Liverpool Range Zone RFS were called to a 30-hectare stubble fire near the Feedlot.

A short time later a barley paddock caught fire on the Glencoe Road at Emerald Hill.

Liverpool Range Zone District Service Officer, Graham Brown, is urging farmers to take every precaution during harvest.

"Have firefighting gear be available; try and have someone be a lookout when you're operating with machinery or any equipment especially on days of Very High Fire Danger," he said.

"As you understand at present the grass and all the fuels are ready to go and it only needs one ignition source and they could start a major fire and it could see the loss of the harvesting equipment or the loss of the product they want to harvest."

Liverpool Range Zone District Service Officer, Graham Brown, says both blazes were started by sparks from hot farm machinery within hours of each other.